By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, April 04, 2026An armed security staff of the new Syrian government stands guard as Syrian Christians celebrate Easter for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Aleppo, Syria, on April 20, 2025. Easter is a major Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is believed to have occurred on the third day after his crucifixion. | OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesSyrian church leaders have announced that Easter celebrations this year will be confined to prayers inside churches after dozens of armed men stormed a predominantly Christian town in Hama province on the eve of Holy Week, firing guns, smashing vehicles and damaging property over the course of hours.The Greek Orthodox and Catholic patriarchs issued a joint statement saying Easter this year will be celebrated in Syria “only with prayer inside the churches,” The National reported. The patriarchs said Syria was facing “challenges” aimed at undermining “common living between Muslims and Christians,” and called for confiscation of illegal weapons, equal treatment of all citizens and “respect for individual and public rights.”The attack took place last Saturday in Suqaylabiyah, a town of about 16,000 residents in the Ghab Plain of Hama who are mainly Greek Orthodox Christians, according to the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.The violence began the day before when two young Muslim men from the nearby town of Qalaat al-Madiq verbally harassed Christian women in Suqaylabiyah. Local Christian men assaulted the two men, who were then expelled from the town and returned with dozens of others on motorcycles.The mob fired guns in the air, smashed cars and damaged storefronts while residents hid inside buildings. The attackers also destroyed a shrine of the Virgin Mary.Footage filmed by the attackers or secretly recorded by residents showed acts of vandalism and theft accompanied by threatening chants and insults, as reported by EWTN News. No casualties were reported.Some national security personnel were reported to have participated in the violence.The Syrian government deployed the army and national security forces to contain the situation, but mobs continued to gather and several attempts to storm the town were foiled by government forces.A second attempted attack the following day was thwarted by security personnel, deepening residents’ fears of further assaults.Christians in the town assembled before the main church in an expression of “popular anger,” while residents staged a protest sit-in demanding accountability for the perpetrators, including members of General Security whom protesters accused of participating in the violence.Demonstrators rejected a “single-color army,” meaning a force dominated by one religious or ethnic group, and voiced frustration with state media coverage that characterized the incident as a personal dispute.The Christian Emergency Alliance said the Suqaylabiyah attack was the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting Syria’s Christian minority.“The assault, on the eve of Holy Week, lasted hours. Pray for the Christians of Syria – they need immediate help,” the Alliance wrote on X.The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, along with most other churches in Syria, announced that Easter celebrations would be confined to prayers inside churches, citing “the current discouraging circumstances.”The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East said incidents targeting the Christian community cannot be dismissed as “individual incidents” and called for an official investigation, accountability for those responsible and compensation for those affected.The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Hama branded the attackers “outlaw groups” and demanded the formation of a judicial investigative committee and laws restricting weapons to the hands of the state.Syrian Christians for Peace, a civil society organization, called on all Syrians to reject sectarianism, urged the government to launch a national dialogue initiative and asked Syrian authorities to enact legislation criminalizing hate speech.Suqaylabiyah’s population has fallen from 20,000 to 16,000 after December 2024, when the government of former president Bashar al-Assad collapsed and many residents with ties to the old order fled the town.During the civil war, some Christians from Suqaylabiyah were recruited into a local brigade of the National Defence Forces, a pro-government auxiliary, and the town’s association with the former government contributed to tension with surrounding, predominantly Sunni areas.The new Syrian government, led by Sunni Islamists, has made improving relations with the United States its top priority, a stance that has helped spare Christians from the violence dealt to other minorities, including the Druze and Alawites.A United Nations report documented more than 1,700 people killed and around 200,000 displaced during a single week of violence in southern Syria in July 2025, most of them Druze civilians, with documented violations that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.Easter falls on April 5 for western Christians this year, and on April 12 for eastern Christians.

Rosetta Hall's scroll travel letters. Yanghwajin Archives The Yanghwajin Archives in Seoul has launched a digital archive providing public access to more than 7,000 historical records documenting the role of Christianity and foreign missionaries in Korea.  The archive, which went live March 22, includes rare materials that had not previously been available to the public, such as missionary artifacts, letters, photographs, denominational reports, diaries and handwritten manuscripts. The collection spans from the late 19th century to the modern era and is regarded as an important historical resource for understanding the development of Korean society and Christianity. Operated by the Korean Church of the 100th Anniversary, the Yanghwajin Archives was established to preserve and study the legacy of early foreign missionaries and the history of Christianity in Korea. The institution has gradually expanded its holdings through key donations, including the personal effects and records of Jeon Taek-bu in December 2012, followed by additional materials from the families of missionaries Rosetta Sherwood Hall and Arthur Garner Welbon in 2013. Rosetta Hall's notebooks. Yanghwajin Archives The newly released digital archive reflects years of efforts to systematically manage and digitize the collection. By making core materials available online, the archives aims to improve accessibility for both researchers and the general public. According to Christian Today Korea, the archives plans to continue collecting records that document missionary work, expressions of faith and the social impact of Christianity in Korean society, with the goal of sharing these materials more broadly. Rosetta Hall's handwritten diary. Yanghwajin Archives Among the notable holdings, the Hall family collection highlights the development of modern medical missions in Korea, including education initiatives for women and people with disabilities and efforts to combat tuberculosis. The Welbon family collection documents inland missionary work centered in Andong and offers insight into changes in rural communities. The Jeon Taek-bu collection focuses on the preservation movement of the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery and broader civil society engagement. The archives said it has established a classification system to support the long-term management and use of its holdings and has pursued digitization in stages. The digital platform marks a significant step in expanding public engagement with historical materials that were previously limited to in-person access. Missionary Welborn's Bible and glasses. Yanghwajin Archives Looking ahead, the institution plans to collaborate with domestic and international organizations and experts to further highlight the historical and academic value of its collections. It describes its mission as serving as a platform that connects “the memories embedded in Yanghwajin” and passes them on to future generations. Manuscript by Elder Jeon Taek-bu. Yanghwajin Archives The Korean Church of the 100th Anniversary was established in 2005 by the Korean Church Centennial Foundation, which was chaired by the late Rev. Han Kyung-chik. The foundation oversees the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery—associated with early Christian contributions to Korea’s independence and modernization—as well as the Korean Christian Martyrs Memorial Hall, which commemorates those who were martyred for their faith. The Yanghwajin Archives can be accessed at yanghwajinarchives.org.

(LifeSiteNews) — A night has passed over the Tomb, wherein lies buried the body of the Man-God. Death is triumphant in that silent cave, and holds captive Him that gives life to every creature – but His triumph will soon be at an end. The soldiers may watch, as best they will, over that grave: they cannot hold Jesus prisoner, as soon as the moment fixed for His resurrection comes. The holy angels are there, profoundly adoring the lifeless body of Him, whose blood is to reconcile all things, both on earth, and in heaven. (Colossians 1:20) This body, though, for a brief interval, separated from the soul, is still united to the person of the Son of God; so, likewise, the soul, during its separation from the body, has not, for an instant, lost its union with the Word. The divinity remains also united with the blood that lies sprinkled on Calvary, and which, at the moment of the resurrection of the Man-God, is to enter once more into His sacred veins. Let us, also, return to the sepulcher, and adore the body of our buried Jesus. Now, at last, we understand what sin has done: by sin, death entered into the world; and it passed upon all men (Romans 5:12) Though Jesus knows no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) yet has He permitted death to have dominion over him, in order that He might make it less bitter to us, and, by His resurrection, restore unto us that eternal life, of which we had been deprived by sin. How gratefully we should appreciate this death of our Jesus! By becoming Incarnate, He became a servant; (Philippians 2:7) His death was a still deeper humiliation. The sight of this tomb, wherein His body lies lifeless and cold, teaches us something far more important than the power of death: it reveals to us the immense, the incomprehensible love of God for man. He knew that we were to gain by His humiliations; the greater His humiliations, the greater our exaltation: this was His principle, and it led Him to what seems like an excess! Let us, then, love this sacred sepulcher, which is to give us life. We have thanked Him for having died for us upon the Cross; let us thank Him, but most feelingly, for having humbled Himself, for our sakes, even to the tomb. And now, let us visit the holy mother, who has passed the night in Jerusalem, going over, in saddest memory, the scenes she has witnessed. Her Jesus has been a victim to every possible insult and cruelty: He has been crucified: His precious blood has flowed in torrents from those five wounds: He is dead, and now lies buried in yonder tomb, as though He were but a mere man, yea the most abject of men. How many tears have fallen, during these long hours, from the eyes of the daughter of David and yet, her Son has not come back to her! Near her is Magdalene; heartbroken by yesterday’s events, she has no words to tell her grief, for Jesus is gone, and, as she thinks, for ever. The other women, less loved by Jesus than Magdalene, yet, still, dear to him, stand round the disconsolate mother. They have braved every insult and danger in order to remain on Calvary till all was over, and they intend returning thither with Magdalene, as soon as the sabbath is over, to honor the tomb and the body of Jesus. John, the adopted son of Mary, and the beloved disciple of Jesus, is oppressed with sorrow. Others, also, of the apostles and disciples visit the house of mourning. Peter, penitent and humble, fears not to appear before the Mother of Mercy. Among the disciples are Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. We may easily imagine the conversation – it is on the sufferings and death of Jesus, and on the ingratitude of the Jews. The Church, in the seventh Responsory of today’s Tenebrae, represents these men as saying: “Behold ! how the Just One dieth, and there is none that taketh it to heart. Iniquity has had its way. He was silent as a Lamb under his shearer, and he opened not his mouth. He was taken away from distress and judgment: but his memory shall be in peace.” Thus speak the men! The women are thinking of their morrow’s visit to the sepulcher! The saintliness of Jesus, His goodness, His power, His sufferings, His death – everything is remembered, except His resurrection, which they had often heard Him say should certainly and speedily take place. Mary alone lives in expectation of His triumph. In her was verified that expression of the Holy Ghost, where, speaking of the valiant woman, He says: “Her lamp shall not be put out in the night.” (Proverbs 31:18) Her courage fails not, because she knows that the sepulcher must yield up its dead, and her Jesus will rise again to life. St. Paul tells us that our religion is vain, unless we have faith in the mystery of our Savior’s resurrection; where was this faith on the day after our Lord’s death? In one heart only, and that was Mary’s. As it was her chaste womb that had held within it Him, whom heaven and earth cannot contain, so on this day, by her firm and unwavering faith, she resumes within her single self the whole Church. How sacred is this Saturday, which, notwithstanding all its sadness, is such a day of glory to the mother of Jesus! It is on this account that the Church has consecrated to Mary the Saturday of every week. But it is time to repair to the house of God. The bells are still silent: our faith must speak to us, and make us eager to assist at the grand mysteries, which the liturgy is about to celebrate. Surely, the Christian sentiment must be dead in them who can be willingly absent from their Church on such a morning as this. No, it cannot be, that we, who have followed the celebration of the mysteries of our religion thus far, can flag now, and lose the graces of this morning’s magnificent service. It was the practice of the Church, and one that had been handed down from the earliest Ages, that the sacrifice of the Mass should not be offered up either yesterday or today. Yesterday, the anniversary of Jesus’ death was exclusively devoted to the remembrance of the mystery of Calvary, and a holy fear kept the Church from renewing that sacrifice upon Her altars. For the same reason She abstained today, also, from its celebration. The burial of Christ is a sequel of His Passion: and during these hours when His body lay lifeless in the tomb, it was fitting that the sacrifice, wherein He is offered as the perfect and risen Jesus, should be suspended. Even the Greek Church, which never fasts on the Saturdays of Lent, follows the practice of the Latin Church for this Saturday: she not only fasts, but she even omits the celebration of the Mass of the Presanctified. Such, we repeat, was the discipline of the Latin Church for nearly a thousand years: but about the eleventh century an important change began to be introduced with regard to the celebration of Mass on Holy Saturday. The Mass which, hitherto, had been celebrated during the night preceding Easter Sunday then began to be anticipated, on the Saturday; but it was always considered as the Mass of the hour of our Lord’s resurrection, and not as the Mass of Holy Saturday. The relaxations, that had been introduced with regard to fasting, were the occasion of this change in the liturgy. In the first ages, the faithful watched the whole night in the church, awaiting the hour when our Lord rose triumphant from the tomb. They also assisted at the solemn administration of baptism to the catechumens, which so sublimely expressed the passing from spiritual death to the life of grace. There was no other vigil in the whole year which was so solemnly observed as this: but it lost a great portion of its interest, when the necessity of baptizing adults was removed by Christianity having triumphed wheresoever it had been preached. The orientals have kept up the ancient tradition to this day: but, in the West, dating from the eleventh century, the Mass of the resurrection hour has been gradually anticipated, until it has been brought even to the morning of Holy Saturday. Durandus of Menda, who wrote his “Rational of the Divine Offices,” towards the close of the 13th century, tells us that, in his time, there were very few Churches which observed the primitive custom: even these soon conformed to the general practice of the Latin Church. As a result of this change, there is an apparent contradiction between the mystery of Holy Saturday and the divine service which is celebrated upon it; Christ is still in the tomb, and yet we are celebrating His resurrection: the hours preceding Mass are mournful, and before mid-day, the paschal joy will have filled our hearts. We will conform to the present order of the holy liturgy, thus entering into the spirit of the Church, who has thought proper to give Her children a foretaste of the joys of Easter. We will give a general view of the solemn service, at which we are going to assist; afterwards, we will explain each portion, as it comes. The great object of the whole of today’s service, and the center to which every one of the ceremonies converges, is the baptism of the catechumens. The faithful must keep this incessantly before them, or they will be at a loss how to understand or profit by the liturgy of today. First of all, there is the blessing of the new fire, and the incense. This is followed by the blessing of the Paschal candle. Immediately after this, are read the twelve prophecies, which have reference to the mysteries of today’s service. As soon as the prophecies are finished, a procession is formed to the baptistery, and the water is blessed. The matter of baptism thus prepared, the catechumens receive the sacrament of regeneration. Confirmation is then administered to them by the bishop. Immediately after this, the holy sacrifice is celebrated in honor of our Lord’s resurrection, and the neophytes partake of the divine mysteries. Finally, the joyous Vesper Office comes in, and brings to a termination the longest and most trying service of the Latin liturgy. In order to assist our readers to enter fully into its spirit, we will go back a thousand years, and imagine ourselves to be celebrating this solemn eve of Easter in one of the ancient cathedrals of Italy, or of our own dear land. At Rome, the station is at Saint John Lateran, the Mother and Mistress of all churches. The sacrament of regeneration is administered in the baptistery of Constantine. The sight of these venerable sanctuaries carries us back in thought to the fourth century; there, each year, holy baptism is conferred upon some adult; and a numerous ordination adds its own to the sacred pomp of this day, whose liturgy, as we have just said, is the richest of the whole year. THE PASCHAL CANDLE The sun is setting, and our earth will soon be mantled in darkness. The Church has provided a torch, which is to spread its light upon us during the whole of this long vigil. It is of an unusual size. It stands alone, and is of a pillar-like form. It is the symbol of Christ. Before being lighted, its scriptural type is the pillar of a cloud, which hid the Israelites when they went out from Egypt; under this form, it is the figure of our Lord, when lying lifeless in the tomb. When lighted, we must see in it both the pillar of fire, which guided the people of God, and the glory of our Jesus risen from His grave. Our Holy Mother the Church, would have us enthusiastically love this glorious symbol, and speaks its praises to us in all the magnificence of Her inspired eloquence. As early as the beginning of the fifth century, Pope St. Zosimus extended to all the churches of the city of Rome the privilege of blessing the Paschal candle, although baptism was administered nowhere but in the baptistery of St. John Lateran. The object of this grant was that all the faithful might share in the holy impressions which so solemn a rite is intended to produce. It was for the same intention that, later, every church, even though it had no baptismal font, was permitted to have the blessing of the Paschal candle. The deacon proclaims the Easter solemnity to the people, whilst chanting the praises of this sacred object: and whilst celebrating the glory of Him, whose emblem it is, he becomes the herald of the resurrection. The altar, the sanctuary, the bishop, all are in the somber color of the Lenten rite; the deacon alone is vested in white. At other times, he would not presume to raise his voice as he is now going to do, in the solemn tone of a Preface: but this is the eve of the resurrection, and the deacon, as the interpreters of the liturgy tell us, represents Magdalene and the holy women, on whom our Lord conferred the honor of being the first to know His resurrection, and to whom He gave the mission of preaching to the very apostles, that He had risen from the dead, and would meet them in Galilee. THE EVENING The description we have been giving of the magnificent ceremonies of baptism has made us forget the sepulcher wherein reposes the body of our crucified Jesus. Let us return thither in thought, for the hour of His resurrection is not yet come. Let us devote a few moments in meditating on the mystery of the three days, during which the soul of our Redeemer was separated from His body. We went, this morning, to visit the tomb, where lies our buried Jesus; we adored that sacred body, which Magdalene and her companions are preparing to honor, by anointing it early on the morrow. Now let us offer the tribute of our profound adoration to the soul of our divine master. It is not in the tomb, where His body is: let us follow it to the place where it lives during these hours of separation. In the center of the earth, there are four immense regions, into which no one living can ever enter: it is only by divine revelation that we know of their existence. The farthest from us is the hell of the damned, the frightful abode where Satan and his angels and the reprobate are suffering eternal torments. It is here that the prince of darkness is ever forming his plots against God and his creatures. Nearer to us, is the limbo wherein are detained the souls of children, who departed this world before being regenerated [baptized]. The opinion which has met most favor from the Church is that these souls suffer no torment; and that although they can never enjoy the beatific vision, yet are they enjoying a natural happiness, and one that is proportionate to their desires. Above the abode of these children is the place of expiation, where souls, that have departed this life in the state of grace, cleanse themselves from any stains of lesser sins, or satisfy for the debt of temporal punishment still due to divine justice. And lastly, still nearer to us, is the limbo where are kept from heaven the saints who died under the Old Law. Here are our first parents, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets; the just gentiles, such as that great saint of Arabia, Job; and those holy personages who were closely connected with our Lord, such as Joachim and Anne, the parents of his Blessed Mother, Joseph, her spouse and his own foster-father, and John, his precursor, together with his holy parents, Zachary and Elizabeth. Until such time as the gate of heaven shall have been opened by the blood of the Redeemer, none of the just can ascend thither. How holy soever they might have been during this life, they must descend into limbo after death. We meet with innumerable passages of the Old Testament, where mention is made of hell (that is, that portion of the regions in the center of the earth, which we call limbo) as being the abode of even the holiest of God’s servants: it is only in the New Testament that heaven is spoken of as being the abode of men. The limbo of the just is not one of torment, beyond that of expectation and captivity. The souls that dwell there are confirmed in grace, and are sure of enjoying, at some future period, an infinite happiness; they resignedly bear this long banishment, which is a consequence of Adam’s sin; and, as they saw the time drawing nigh for their deliverance, their joy was beyond all we can imagine. The Son of God has subjected himself to everything (save sin) that our human nature has to suffer or undergo: it is by His resurrection that he is to triumph, it is by His ascension alone that He is to open the gates of heaven: hence, His soul, having been separated from His body by death, was to descend into the depths of the earth, and become a companion with the holy exiles there. He had said of Himself: “The Son of Man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:40) What must have been the joy of these countless saints! and how majestic must not have been the entrance of our Emmanuel into their abode! No sooner did our Jesus breathe His last upon the Cross, than the limbo of the saints was illumined with heavenly splendor. The soul of the Redeemer, united to the divinity of the Word, descended thither, and changed it, from a place of banishment, into a very paradise. Thus did He fulfill the promise He had made to the good thief: “This day shalt thou he with me in Paradise.” The happy hour, so long expected by these saints, is come! What tongue could tell their joy, their admiration, and their love, as they beheld the soul of Jesus, who thus comes among them, to share and close their exile! He looks complacently on this countless number of His elect – this fruit of four thousand years of His grace – this portion of His Church purchased by His blood, and to which the merits of His blood were applied by the mercy of His Eternal Father, even before it was shed on Calvary! Let us who hope, on our departure from this world, to ascend to Him, who has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven, (John 14:2) let us joyfully congratulate these our holy ancestors. Let us also adore the condescension of our Emmanuel, who deigns to spend these three days in the heart of the earth, that so He might sanctify every condition of our nature, and take upon Himself even what was but a transient state of our existence. But, the Son of God would have this His visit to the regions beneath our earth to be a manifestation of His sovereign power. His soul does not, it is true, descend into the hell of Satan, but He makes His power be felt there. The prince of this world is now forced to bend his knee and humble himself. (Philipp 2:10) In this Jesus, whom he has instigated the Jews to crucify, he now recognizes the Son of God. Man is saved, death is conquered. Sin is effaced. Henceforth, it is not to the Bosom of Abraham, but to heaven itself, that the souls of the just made perfect shall ascend, there to reign, together with the faithful angels, with Christ their divine head. The reign of idolatry is to be at an end: the altars, whereon men have offered incense to Satan, are to be destroyed. The house of the strong one is to be entered by his divine adversary, and his goods are to be rifled. (Matt 12:29) The handwriting of our condemnation is snatched from the serpent. (Coloss 2:14) The Cross, which he had so exultingly prepared for the just one, has been his overthrow, or, as St. Antony so forcibly expresses it, the bait thrown out to the leviathan, which he took, and, taking it, was conquered. The soul of our Jesus makes its presence felt also by the just who dwell in the abode of expiation. It mercifully alleviates their sufferings, and shortens their purgatory. Many of them are delivered altogether, and numbered with the saints in limbo, where they spend the forty days, between this and the ascension, in the happy expectation of ascending to heaven with their Deliverer. It is not contrary to the principles of faith to suppose, as several learned theologians have taught, that the visit of the Man-God to limbo was a source of blessing and consolation to the abode of unregenerated children, and that they then received a promise, that the time would come when they should be reunited to their bodies, and, after the day of judgment, be placed in a happier land than that in which divine justice now holds them captives. We adore thee, O holy soul of our Redeemer! for thy having deigned to pass these hours with thy saints, our fathers, in the heart of the earth. We extol thy goodness and love shown towards these thy elect, whom thou hast made to be thine own brethren. We give thee thanks for that thou didst humble our enemy: oh, give us grace to conquer him! But now, dearest Jesus! it is time for thee to rise from thy tomb, and reunite thy soul to thy body! Heaven and earth await thy resurrection! The Church, thy Spouse, has already sung the Alleluia of her glad expectation! Rise, then, from thy grave, O Jesus, our Life ! Triumph over death, and reign our King forever! This text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Guéranger (1841-1875). LifeSiteNews is grateful to The Ecu-Men website for making this classic work easily available online.

Faisalabad Police Chief Kamran Adil shows solidarity with Christians in Jaranwala, Pakistan on Aug. 16, 2024. Christian Daily International-Morning Star News Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 31) ordered a trial court to conclude within six months the case against assailants in the 2023 anti-Christian attacks in Jaranwala, according to media reports. A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi also directed police to immediately arrest all absconding suspects. The bench issued the directives while hearing petitions filed by the Punjab Province government seeking cancellation of bail granted to suspects in 22 cases linked to the Aug. 16, 2023 Islamist violence against Christians in Jaranwala, in Faisalabad District. At the outset of the hearing, Punjab Additional Prosecutor General Ahmad Raza Gilani stressed the need for expediting the trial, citing delays in proceedings before a special anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad. The provincial government’s legal team urged the court to set a clear timeline for the cases, ARY news channel reported. The bench then ordered that all trials be completed within six months and instructed the inspector general of Punjab Police to ensure the immediate arrest of all absconding suspects. The chief justice emphasized that suspects must be taken into custody without delay to uphold the rule of law. The court’s intervention follows earlier criticism by the Supreme Court over the pace and quality of investigations into the attacks, which saw Islamist mobs target churches and Christian homes after allegations of blasphemy against two Christians. In February 2024, a three-judge bench led by then-Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa strongly rebuked the Punjab government’s progress report on the incident, calling it inadequate and ordering a revised submission within 10 days. “I am feeling ashamed that only 18 charge sheets were submitted in the case in the last six months,” Isa told a provincial law officer during the hearing. He also questioned Pakistan’s commitment to minority rights, contrasting domestic realities with its criticism of Islamophobia abroad. Figures presented at the time showed 22 cases had been registered, with 304 arrests made and charge sheets filed in 18 cases. The court, however, noted significant gaps in the report, including missing details on suspects, case status and progress in prosecutions. Isa further criticized law enforcement agencies for their lack of resolve in identifying and prosecuting those responsible. He warned that such shortcomings risked damaging the credibility of the police and suggested that authorities appeared reluctant to act against perpetrators of mob violence. The court subsequently ordered a fresh and thorough investigation, directing authorities to ensure effective prosecution and warning of disciplinary action against officials who failed to do so. It also sought updates on compensation for victims and reconstruction of damaged churches. Separately, the Lahore High Court in October dismissed petitions filed by individuals and Christian groups seeking a judicial inquiry into the attacks. Justice Asim Hafeez ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to order the formation of a judicial commission, noting that multiple Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) had already submitted reports. The Jaranwala violence erupted after two Christians were accused of desecrating the Quran and insulting the Muhammad, the prophet of Islam – allegations that were later found to be false. A trial court subsequently acquitted the men, concluding that they had been framed following a personal dispute. Despite official assurances of accountability, rights groups say progress has been limited. According to Amnesty International, of more than 5,200 individuals allegedly involved in the attacks, only 380 were arrested, with the vast majority remaining at large. “Of the arrested suspects, 228 were released on bail and 77 others had the charges against them dropped,” said Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia, in a statement marking the first anniversary of the incident. He warned that weak investigations and prosecutions had fostered “a climate of impunity.” Blasphemy allegations in Pakistan frequently trigger mob violence, particularly against religious minorities. While the law prescribes severe penalties, including death, for insulting the Muhammad, executions have not been carried out. Even unproven accusations, however, can incite unrest and vigilantism. International advocacy groups continue to highlight systemic challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan. In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors ranked Pakistan eighth among the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, underscoring ongoing concerns about legal protections and enforcement.

For Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, faith was never a political tool. It was a calling. A devout Catholic who once aspired to become a nun, Ingabire has long drawn strength from her religious convictions. But today, as she sits in detention in Rwanda awaiting trial, even that source of comfort has been stripped away. Her daughter, Raïssa Ujeneza, describes a pattern that goes beyond politics, one that touches on conscience, isolation and control “My mother has made no secret of her strong faith and that she draws a lot of strength from that,” Ujeneza said in an interview with Christian Daily International.  She said her mother is now completely barred from attending church. “I think it is a way to mentally break her, but also just to show her how much control they have over her movements and what she is allowed and not allowed to do,” she said.  During Ingabire’s previous imprisonment, authorities allowed her to attend church, but under strict conditions. “She would be the last one entering and the first one to leave so that they would put a gap between her and other churchgoers,” Ujeneza said. Now, even that limited access has disappeared. The restriction, her daughter argues, is not incidental. It reflects a broader effort to isolate her from any community that could sustain her including fellow believers. “Christians tend to be known in societies for daring to stand for justice despite the dangers,” Ujeneza said, suggesting authorities may fear the solidarity such groups can provide.  Ingabire was arrested again in June 2025. Nearly nine months later, Rwanda’s Supreme Court ruled that her arrest and investigation were lawful, dismissing her objections. Victoire Ingabire/Facebook Her account comes amid wider concerns about religious space in Rwanda. In recent years, hundreds of churches have been closed over regulatory compliance issues, a move the government says is about safety and order, but critics say has tightened control over religious life. Within that environment, Ujeneza believes churches themselves are cautious. “To continue to be a church to the people, they need some kind of free movement, so to appease the government, they stay away and refrain from certain comments,” she said.  Limited access to family Beyond faith, Ingabire’s personal connections have also been severely restricted. “They do not allow us to talk to her,” Ujeneza said.  The situation echoes her earlier imprisonment, when direct contact was rare. “It took six years for our mother to be able to call us,” Ujeneza said, recalling that even then, the call was only permitted due to a family emergency.  Ingabire was arrested again in June 2025. Nearly nine months later, Rwanda’s Supreme Court ruled that her arrest and investigation were lawful, dismissing her objections. According to Ujeneza, the legal challenge centered on how the case was initiated. “In this case, a judge made that ruling, and it is the same judge who will rule over her case. So how much bias is there?” she said.  Her mother had argued that the process violated proper legal protocols and rendered the case invalid. The court disagreed. The ruling means Ingabire will remain in custody as the trial proceeds, with no clear timeline. “Last time it took over two years before there was a verdict, so it might as well be the same,” she said.  Political journey Ingabire’s case cannot be separated from her political role. A longtime opposition figure, she returned to Rwanda in 2010 after years in exile in the Netherlands to challenge President Paul Kagame’s government. She was later convicted on charges including terrorism and inciting division, which she denied. She was released in 2018 by presidential pardon. International organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly criticized her earlier trial as politically motivated. A 2017 ruling by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights found that Rwanda had violated her rights to freedom of expression and defense. Her latest arrest follows renewed accusations linked to alleged subversive activity, charges her supporters again reject as political. Ujeneza believes her mother’s international visibility has made her a target. “They see international media covering her story, and this frustrates them because they cannot silence her unless they put her in jail,” she said.  Politics, she said, was never Ingabire’s original path. “She never intended to become a politician, but slowly but surely this has become her vocation,” Ujeneza said. Instead, what began as conviction has turned into a lifelong mission. “She is going to invest everything she has in bringing about democracy and revealing truths… this is her life's work,” she said.  Despite years of imprisonment and pressure, Ujeneza says her mother remains resolute. “Her will is strong,” she said. Even exile is not an option. “She would not return to the Netherlands… her life is in Rwanda. She will live and die in Rwanda,” she said.  For Ujeneza, her mother’s case reflects a broader issue across Africa. One shaped by fear of dissent. “I think sometimes we think we see competition, but it is indeed all fear,” she said.  She called for greater openness toward political and religious differences. “Being from a different religious group doesn’t mean you’re a threat,” she said.  Instead, she urged societies to embrace pluralism. “We have more to win if we do that. There is more to unite us than that separates us,” she said.  As Ingabire waits for trial, her situation sits at the intersection of faith and politics. A woman who once considered religious life now finds herself cut off from worship. A political opponent remains in custody under a system her family believes is stacked against her.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

(LifeSiteNews) — All LifeSiteNews staff will be away from our desks from the night of Holy Thursday until the morning of Easter Tuesday. We wish all our readers a blessed Good Friday and Holy Saturday and a very happy Easter!

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Friday, April 03, 2026Getty ImagesMillennials and Gen Z Americans are more optimistic than older generations about the potential of seeing a spiritual revival in the U.S., according to a poll showing a rise in young adults embracing Christianity. Newly published data from Barna’s 2026 State of the Church initiative, released Monday and conducted in conjunction with Gloo, found that millennials and Generation Z are more likely than their older peers to believe that a spiritual revival is coming. Gen Z refers to the youngest group of American adults, born in 1999 or later. The term “millennials” refers to adults born between 1984 and 1998, Generation X refers to adults born between 1965 and 1983, and those born between 1946 and 1964 are classified as baby boomers.  “The research doesn’t predict a revival,” said Barna CEO David Kinnaman in a statement provided to The Christian Post. “And respondents were not given a specific definition of revival, so we anticipate that people have a wide range of ideas of what that might look like. Yet, it reveals something worth paying attention to: a large number of Americans believe one is possible — and for younger adults especially, that belief is being forged in some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives.” “That matters for Christian leaders. When a generation turns toward faith not out of tradition or habit but out of a genuine drive for something deeper — stemming from anxiety, isolation and disruption — the Church’s response to that search may prove more consequential than any single cultural trend.” In February, Barna asked 1,073 U.S. adults if they believed that “a spiritual revival will happen in the U.S. in the next 12 months.” Thirty-eight percent of Gen Z adults said either “definitely” or “probably,” along with 29% of Gen X adults, 29% of all U.S. adults, 28% of baby boomers and 25% of millennials. In October 2025, Barna asked 2,927 U.S. adults who believe a revival is coming in the next 12 months why they feel the way they do. The exact same percentage of Gen Z and millennial adults (43%) cited prayer as one of the reasons why a spiritual revival might break out. Similarly, 38% of Gen Z adults and 40% of millennial adults identified "young generations turning to God" as a reason why spiritual revival might occur. Thirty-four percent of Gen Z adults and 38% of millennials agreed that a "search for meaning and purpose" could cause a spiritual revival in the U.S. Nearly identical shares of Gen Z adults (32%) and millennials (30%) said the same about miracles, while 38% of Generation Z adults and 37% of millennials thought that "people experiencing God" could spur a spiritual revival in the U.S. Roughly one-third of both Gen Z adults (31%) and millennials (36%) thought that "a hunger for God" could lead to a spiritual revival. Thirty-three percent of Gen Z adults and 34% of millennial adults agreed that economic challenges could lead to a spiritual revival in the U.S. "Job loss" was viewed by significant shares of both Gen Z adults (29%) and millennials (26%) as a factor that could lead to spiritual revival in the U.S. Conversely, a significantly higher share of Gen Z adults (42%) predicted that mental health challenges would lead to a revival in the U.S. than millennials (32%). Thirty-five percent of Gen Z adults believed that anxiety would lead to revival, along with 30% of millennial adults. Nearly one-fifth of Gen Z (16%) and millennial adults (18%) pointed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as a possible source of revival. A larger share of millennials (16%) believed that "secularism losing popularity" would lead to a revival than Gen Z adults (11%). "The rise of godlike AI" was identified as a possible cause of a spiritual revival by 14% of Gen Z adults and 15% of millennials. The latest data on Gen Z and millennials expressing optimism about a potential revival aligns with findings from other surveys.A report published by Barna’s State of the Church Initiative last year found that Gen Zers and millennials had higher monthly church attendance rates than the older generations. Gen Zers attended church 1.9 times a month on average, while millennials had an average attendance rate of 1.8 times per month. By contrast, Gen Xers had a monthly attendance rate of 1.6 times per month, and baby boomers and elders attended church services an average of 1.4 times per month. Research from the Barna Group last year also found an increase in the number of millennial males who agreed with the statement declaring, “I have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus that is still important in my life today.” This profession increased from 52% in 2019 to 71% in 2025. Similarly, the percentage of Gen Zers who agreed with the same statement jumped from 52% in 2019 to 67% in 2025. 

Our work is made possible by the generosity of supporters like you. Your contributions empower us to continue breaking stories that matter, providing clarity from a biblical worldview, and standing for truth in an era of competing narratives.By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you’re helping to keep CP’s articles free and accessible for everyone.$25/month$50/quarter$100/yearOnetimePage 2 By Michael Gryboski, Editor Friday, April 03, 2026Members of the Italian community take part in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Bensheim, southwest of Frankfurt, Germany, April 14, 2017. | REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach1. Passion playsOne popular way to observe Good Friday is through a Passion play, a performance usually held outdoors that reenacts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from His arrest to His crucifixion. Passion plays are said to have originated in Europe during the Middle Ages. These dramatic performances are widely held throughout modern Christendom.Some of the most popular include the play performed in Trafalgar Square, London and the elaborate procession held in Bensheim, Germany.The village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps is said to have the longest tradition, having performed the production regularly since 1634.“It remains an entirely local production, with villagers taking all the parts and singing in the chorus. Since 1930, roofed seats have protected the audience from the weather. The production runs from May through September,” according to Britannica.Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

By Christian TodayFriday, April 03, 2026Reuters/BeawihartaThe Gospels describe three hours of darkness from noon at the crucifixion of Jesus, prompting debate over whether this was an eclipse. This is the story …The crucifixion account The story of the crucifixion is so important that it is covered in all four Gospel accounts in the New Testament. Three of them, known as the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, all describe a darkness over the land.In Matthew it says: “From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45, KJV). Mark states: “And when the sixth hour had come, darkness came over all the earth until the ninth hour” (Mark 15:33, KJV). Matthew and Mark report “darkness over all the land” without specifying the cause. The sixth hour was measured from dawn, so they meant what we call noon.Symbolism of darknessMany people see a fulfilment of prophecy from Isaiah, who prophesied, “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering” (Isaiah 50:3); and from Amos, who prophesied, “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day” (Amos 8:9). Others point to Joel, who prophesied: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the LORD” (Joel 2:32).The word 'eclipse'The idea that there was an eclipse at the crucifixion comes from the Greek word “ἐκλιπόντος” (eklipontos), which appears in the original text of the account found in Luke 23:45. The Greek word “ἐκλείπω” (ekleipo) is the origin of the English word “eclipse.”In English, as in Greek, it can mean something is darkened or obscured. The Greek word has come into English to be used mainly in the astronomical sense of the obscuring of the sun or the moon, as in solar and lunar eclipses. In English, the word eclipse is also used metaphorically, such as in Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit song “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” or in phrases like “His fame was eclipsed by a newcomer” or “The war has eclipsed all other issues in the news.”Astronomical eclipsesThe planet Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical orbit each year, and the moon revolves around the Earth in an orbit each month. Sometimes the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun, or the Earth is directly between the sun and the moon. The moon goes through phases: when one face is fully visible, it is called a “full moon.” At other times, there is a half-moon, a crescent moon, or a “new moon,” when the moon is nearly invisible.A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sunlight and casting a dark shadow upon the Earth. Because the sun is behind the moon, it appears as a “new moon.” In contrast, a lunar eclipse happens when the Earth positions itself between the sun and a “full moon,” when the side facing Earth is illuminated. When the Earth blocks all sunlight to the moon, it causes the Earth’s shadow to fall on the moon, making it appear reddish instead of white — sometimes called a “blood moon.”When the moon blocks the sun in a solar eclipse, it creates a darkness on Earth called an umbra. During a total solar eclipse, sunlight is blocked out by the moon, and the part of the Earth where the shadow falls gradually becomes dark, like nighttime. A total solar eclipse is a spectacular event, and people sometimes travel far to experience one. For example, one occurred in the U.K. on Aug. 11, 1999, and another in the U.S. on April 8, 2024.Was there an eclipse at the crucifixion?Over time, people have speculated whether the darkness at the crucifixion could be explained by an eclipse. So, could there have been a solar eclipse at that time?Early English versions like Tyndale’s follow the “darkening” sense without using eclipse terminology, but a few English translations have rendered the Greek words as “eclipse of the sun.”The British New Testament in Modern English, translated by J. B. Phillips, renders Luke 23:44–45b as: “It was now about midday, but darkness came over the whole countryside until three in the afternoon, for there was an eclipse of the sun.”Likewise, the American Catholic New American Bible (NAB) and the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), used in U.S. Catholic churches, read: “It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun.”Most translations into English do not translate the Greek word “ἐκλιπόντος” as “eclipse,” even though they look similar. In 1526, William Tyndale translated Luke 23:44–45b as: “And it was about the sixth hour. And there came a darkness over all the land until the ninth hour, and the sun was darkened.” The King James Version kept this as “And the sun was darkened.” The Good News Bible has: “It was about twelve o’clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o’clock.”Problems with the eclipse theoryThere are three problems with the theory that the darkness was a solar eclipse. Astronomical software, using scientific data, can now determine precisely where and when eclipses occur, and it can also calculate when and where they occurred in the past. No solar eclipse occurred in the Holy Land during the period AD 29 to 36, which is the range in which the crucifixion is dated. In any case, a solar eclipse does not last three hours; at most, total darkness lasts about 7.5 minutes. It is a brief event and does not last for hours, even if one had occurred.PassoverHowever, there is a more fundamental reason why there was no solar eclipse at the crucifixion: it took place just after Passover.In the Bible, the timing of Passover is based on the lunar calendar. Passover’s date is tied directly to the Hebrew calendar in the month of Nisan and begins at sunset on or very near a full moon. It commemorates the Exodus, with the Passover lamb slaughtered on the 14th of Nisan at twilight (Exodus 12:6), just as the moon is waxing full.Technically, Passover begins on the evening of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox. Therefore, there could not have been a solar eclipse at the crucifixion, because a solar eclipse requires a new moon, not a full moon. Although there might conceivably have been a lunar eclipse in the evening, it would not have darkened the land.ConclusionSolar eclipses last minutes, not hours, and require a new moon, not Passover’s full moon. Therefore, the darkness at the crucifixion was not a solar eclipse. The sun might have been obscured, but it was not eclipsed by the moon.

Christianity's core belief is that the Son of God took on human form, died for our sins, and then rose from the dead to give us eternal life. But if Jesus Christ didn't come back to life, it undoes His claim to be the all-powerful, eternal Son of God, Savior, and Messiah.  So, Christianity hangs on the Resurrection. Jesus Isn't Just in the Bible To believe the events around that first Easter, you pretty much have to believe that Jesus did indeed exist and that the New Testament can be trusted. At the Impact 360 school in Pine Mountain, Georgia, Prof. Jonathan Morrow preps college-bound Christians to fight with the facts of their faith. He told CBN News, "Investigating the Resurrection is a historical question that you can do with eyes wide open; it's not a blind faith kind of thing, like believing in the Easter Bunny or a lucky rabbit's foot.  This is real-world kind of stuff.  And you can investigate the data for it."  Morrow added, "So when it comes to the Resurrection, we say, 'Well, how do we know Jesus existed?' Some people even doubt that.  The fact is, we have far more sources for Jesus of Nazareth than we do for many historical figures in the first century.  We have at least 18. Twelve of those are non-Christian sources." There's more evidence that Jesus existed than Julius Caesar. Does anyone doubt Caesar existed? As for the Scriptures, Prof. Darrell Bock of the Dallas Theological Seminary explained that any piece of a surviving ancient work is called a manuscript. And more ancient pages or fragments of the Bible have survived by far than any other book from antiquity. "It's exceptional," Bock said. "You're talking about over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, over 8,000 Latin manuscripts. Most books that we work with in the ancient world have maybe at best a dozen manuscripts."  Christians: If Jesus Is Dead, So Is Your Religion For some people, they might be ready to believe the Bible is legitimate, but they have a hard time believing Jesus Christ could have actually risen from the dead. The problem with that, as far as Morrow is concerned, is that everything hangs on that fact. The author of Questioning the Bible explained, "Paul made the argument in I Corinthians 15, saying, 'Look, you can test this: if the Resurrection didn't happen, Christianity is false. Whether you believe it or not, whether you're sincere about it, if the Resurrection didn't happen, Christianity's false - go to the next religion." If He's Dead, Then They Lied Some suggest that the apostles all lied in a vast conspiracy to turn the deficit of Jesus' death into the positive of a risen Lord. But biblical apologists insist that when you examine it all the way through, it's actually easier to believe in the Resurrection than its alternatives. Such Bible experts say that to dismiss the Resurrection, any theory you come up with to explain the historical happenings has to explain away three historical facts: That there was an empty tomb three days after Jesus's body had been placed in it, though it had been constantly guarded by Roman soldiers; Jesus appeared to hundreds of people in numerous places for almost seven weeks after His crucifixion; And something huge did happen to suddenly and forever turn all the cowering, cowardly disciples into bold believers, proclaiming a risen Messiah they were willing to be tortured and die for.  Did Jesus Die, or Almost Die? Still, alternative theories live on. Some theorize that Jesus didn't die on the cross but just went into a death-like state that fooled everyone who checked His body. Then under this theory, He awoke in the tomb, got up and walked out.  Proponents say that explains His many appearances after His supposed death.  What this doesn't explain is how in a near-death state and with exceedingly crippling wounds, He could work His way out of tightly-wrapped, glued-on burial garments and then roll away the massively heavy stone sealed onto the tomb by the Romans.  And it doesn't explain why He'd suddenly disappear after several weeks among His disciples, never to be seen again.  Nor does it explain how so many people saw Him ascending up into the heavens. Oops, Wrong Tomb Some suggest the female disciples who first found the empty tomb might have just had the wrong one, and the other disciples took advantage of that, concocting a Resurrection myth to explain the empty tomb. But surely the Jewish leaders who'd had Roman guards placed by Jesus' burial place, and Joseph of Arimathea who owned the tomb where Jesus' body had been laid, would have quickly displayed the body and corrected the mistake if indeed the women had gone to the wrong tomb. "If you're going around preaching Jesus was physically raised from the dead and people knew where He was buried and knew where they could find His bones, that message wouldn't even get off the ground," insisted Bock, author of Truth Matters. Not Smart to Lie Where Everyone Knows You're Lying Josh McDowell, author of New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, said the disciples knew this well. "In the Resurrection, where was the hardest place in the world to convince anyone it was true if it was false?  Jerusalem, where a 15-minute walk by anyone could confirm the emptiness of the tomb," McDowell said. ***Sign up for CBN Newsletters to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***    Matthew 28 points out the Jewish leaders bribed the tomb's guards to say they'd fallen asleep and the disciples then stole Jesus' body. But if these guards were asleep, how would they know it was the disciples?  And how could they have slept through the disciples rolling away the huge stone that covered the entrance to the tomb, a stone some have suggested was so heavy, it may have taken more than a dozen men to push it away? Debunking this conspiracy idea, Morrow said, "Conspiracy theories unravel very quickly because people will eventually tell what they know. And the more people who are involved, and the more people who saw the event, you multiply your chances of the story getting out. So that's the first thing. The second thing is the Gospels, the earliest historical record we have, don't show the tales of being doctored to say the same thing, like they got their stories straight. They had the ring of truth to them." Would You Die for a Lie You Made Up? And if the disciples were making up Jesus' Resurrection, would they have lived and died for Him and a fiction they themselves made up? McDowell explained, "They said after He was crucified and buried, He was raised from the dead and for 40 days—not 40 hours, not four days—for 40 days, they lived with Him and walked with Him, with overwhelming proof that He'd been raised from the dead." McDowell concluded, "If the Resurrection was a lie, they had to know it. And if they knew it, then you'd have to say here were these men who not only died for a lie, but they knew it was a lie. I challenge you to find others in history who that's true of. It's not." Morrow added, "The earliest disciples would have known—not just believed, but would have known—that either Jesus was who He claimed to be and was actually raised from the dead or they were making this thing up. And yet history tells us that we have good reason to think they all went to their death with the exception of one for that core belief: that Jesus was raised from the dead. They didn't recant that. Conspiracies break down under pressure.  And this conspiracy would have cost them their lives." What Would Cause Such Radical Transformations? These and other experts say that in truth, it would take something as radical as Jesus' Resurrection to completely transform the disciples like cowardly Peter, who was so scared just before the crucifixion, he swore he didn't even know Jesus. But just a few weeks later, Morrow pointed out Peter went from hiding away, fearful the Jewish leaders might have him killed as well, to boldly preaching salvation through Christ before a crowd of thousands, including some who sought Jesus' death. Morrow explained, "You see Peter with this radical transformation, going from coward to this courageous champion who's saying, 'Look, here I stand, this is what I'm saying, this is what's true. You crucified this guy, but this is what He offered.' You've got that radical transformation right at the heart of what's going on around that earliest Christian movement."  From Christ-Hater to Christian Martyr Morrow pointed out that Jesus' doubting brother James was also instantly changed.  He said, "James – the brother of Jesus —didn't follow Jesus during His earthly ministry; thought He was crazy." McDowell agreed, saying, "James despised his brother, thought He was embarrassing the family. And then Jesus appeared to him in James' own word, and he became the leader of the church of Jerusalem." Morrow added, "And after the fact, James becomes an early leader in the Church, and was persecuted and eventually killed for that belief." And biblical apologists say it could only be a resurrected Jesus showing up forcefully and vividly two to three years later that could transform the church's worst persecutor into its main missionary. Greatest Murderer Turned to Greatest Missionary "Saul of Tarsus was anything but a follower who believed in Jesus," McDowell said. "He went from city to city, casting his vote to have them imprisoned and executed. But in his own words, Christ appeared to him. Whether you believe that or not, something took.  One of the greatest murderers into one of the greatest missionaries.  A Christian-hater to a Christian-lover." Morrow stated,  "What in the world would flip Paul - or actually, Saul of Tarsus - to Paul, the chief proclaimer in the early Church?  He was a smart guy. He was holding the coats when people were killing the first Christians.  He was adamantly opposed to this movement. And then he became a Christian. What accounts for that?"  Short of the risen Jesus appearing to Paul, Bock believes it's an unfathomable transformation. As he put it, "So the main thing is just explaining how someone like a Saul who becomes Paul even exists."  McDowell concluded, "Something happened in Paul's life that I've never found any other explanation that even comes close to satisfying me intellectually except: 'And Jesus appeared to Paul after the Resurrection.'" Liars Wouldn't Have Testified About the Female Disciples' Role  Another crucial factor that debunks the idea that all these disciples were trying to sell a false Resurrection to the world: the fact that they proclaimed it was females who found the empty tomb and let the male disciples know Jesus was missing. The first-century Jews believed women were second-class citizens.  So if the disciples were lying about the resurrection, they made their story all the harder to accept by putting women at the forefront. "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - they all recount Jesus' earliest women followers finding the empty tomb," Morrow said. "In the first century, where a woman's testimony would have been about the level just above a slave, that would not be your best foot forward." Bock imagined being with the disciples, plotting how they'll push a false Resurrection. The Criterion of Embarrassment  "'We're going to sell this difficult idea, and the people we're going to get to sell it are people that the culture doesn't believe have the right to be witnesses,'" Bock imagined them saying. But he insisted, "You'd never make up a story that way.  This is what's called the Criterion of Embarrassment in historical Jesus studies: that you'd never make up the story this way.  So the reason the story is this way is because it must be grounded in what happened." Morrow completely agreed, stating the Gospel writers' testifying about the women's role has "the ring of truth." Morrow said, "That would have been an embarrassing detail you would have never led with UNLESS it actually happened. And the fact that all four (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) say it happened just gives it that much stronger evidence that it actually did happen." Hard to Simply Dismiss 500 Eyewitnesses Saying the disciples lied about Jesus' resurrection doesn't explain His post-Resurrection appearance before 500 people. The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15 suggested doubters go talk to them. Morrow said of that, "You've got living history. You've got the people who were there to cross-check whatever message is being put out there. So, it's not as though these things could have been invented and no one would have challenged it. You've got this idea that 'there are witnesses; go investigate them.'"  He added about this call in I Corinthians to talk to witnesses, "Ancient historians loved eyewitness testimony. That's what they all wanted. Livy, Herodotus, Tacitus, Thucydides - they all wanted eyewitness testimony to get back to the original.  And that's what you have." McDowell said of such eyewitness testimony, "I put a lot of weight on this.  You see, people today say, 'How do you know Jesus said that? How do you know He did that?' Well, they had the same question in the New Testament times. Even more so than today, because they were dying for it. And they wanted to know: 'Is this true? Did Jesus really do this? Did He really say this?' " 'Can't Get Much Better Evidence' McDowell pointed out, "In I John 1, how did John answer that? They said 'How do we know this is true?' John said, 'What our eyes have seen, what our ears have heard, what our hands have handled is what we're declaring unto you.' In other words, 'We were eyewitnesses. We were there.'  And then with their opponents, they would say, 'You were there, too. You saw Jesus do this; you heard Him do this.'  And you can't get much better evidence historically than that.  And we have that in the Scriptures." Morrow returned to how Paul pushed his readers in I Corinthians 15 to gather proof that Jesus rose from the dead: "He says, 'It's not a matter of wishful thinking.  Investigate this.' That's why he mentions the eyewitnesses. He mentioned that Jesus appeared to more than 500, and as well as His disciples, and to Paul himself and to others. Because eyewitnesses authenticated that event. And it was central to Christianity." Morrow concluded, "It has all the ring of truth and not the ring of that conspiracy theory where they just made this thing up to invent their own religion. Could 500 People Have the Same Hallucination? Some doubters try to do away with all the post-Resurrection appearances by saying those who thought they were seeing, talking to and touching Jesus were all hallucinating, even the 500 Paul discussed in I Corinthians. McDowell told CBN News believing that takes more faith than simply accepting that Jesus really did rise from the dead. The writer explained, "Here's the key: what is a hallucination? A hallucination is an internal experience, not triggered by anything external.  This is why no two people ever have the same hallucination. Because it's all internal, subjective. Well, to have 500 people have the same hallucination would be 500 miracles equal to the Resurrection." Speaking of miracles, Morrow called on people not to dismiss them as casually as most folks do these days. If God Exists, so Can Miracles "When historians investigate this, in our modern mindset, there's this idea that 'Look, miracles are out of bounds.' Well, why? Because if it's at least possible that God exists, then miracles become possible," he insisted. But Morrow added, "We shouldn't believe just any and every miracle. We then investigate them on a case-by-case basis. And when you look at the Resurrection evidence, it's pretty remarkable how strong it is, and that's why it's at the core of Christianity. And so, I don't think it's intellectually credible to rule out miracles before you investigate the event, out of hand." Bock insisted, "The faith is very, very defendable. That's why it's lasted for 2,000 years.  And not only that. There's a rationale that shows the uniqueness of what Jesus is that's important to appreciate as well. And so all the time that's often spent on the Resurrection makes sense because that really is the hub of the discussion." Morrow added, "Christians don't believe that Jesus rose from the dead because the Bible says so. They believe He rose from the dead because that's what the earliest and best historical documents show, and that's what's the best explanation of the data."  Early Is Important Just like historians put great weight on eyewitness testimony, they also give more respect to early historical writings done close to the events they discuss. With Peter, John, and James, you have both: They're eyewitnesses who wrote early. "You can push the earliest core teaching of Jesus - His death, deity, and Resurrection - within months of the Resurrection. Because then it goes back to Peter, James, and John," Morrow said. "These people were eyewitnesses, they were there, and it was early." Paul's encounter with Jesus came just two or three years after Christ's death and Resurrection, and not long after that, he interviewed Peter, James, and John.  "Then, 18 years late,r he cross-checked himself again," Morrow said of Paul. "In I Corinthians 15, he goes 'Look, I met with them again and they added nothing to my gospel. We're preaching the same exact thing.' This is the core message. And you can trace it back to the beginning, that there was never a Christianity without that at the heart of it." Bock said that's crucial knowledge for those who might instead have believed these key Christian doctrines were dreamed up much later. He explained, "The issue that's sometimes raised up: 'Well, these books were written many decades later. And so they reflect a theological development coming down the road.'  All that shrinks back when you look at the person of Paul." "He was writing within a few years of the time of Christ," McDowell added. "And this is why for many of the scholars will give I Corinthians incredible credence: because of its closeness." The Resurrection Proves Jesus Was Who He Said He Was Morrow said of Paul, "He understood why Jesus of Nazareth was different in the unique claims that He made, but that then those claims were authenticated through His Resurrection, that said, 'What I said is what is real. This is who I am.'" Morrow summed up, "These claims to forgive sins sound crazy unless you're the Son of God, you're the Son of Man, you're the Messiah. And that's who He showed Himself to be. And Paul is probably our earliest and best witness to that. And our critical scholars will grant us Paul being that eyewitness."  McDowell spoke of evidence that can help readers believe the words of Paul and other New Testament writers, like archaeological findings. He explained, "Right now, you can almost say every single reference in the Book of Acts has already been verified through archaeology: 600-some references to kings, people, places, everything. In Luke 3, in the first three verses, there are 17 historical references. Every single one now has been confirmed by archaeology." 'The Evidence Is Only Getting Better' Biblical expert Bock flat-out stated, "These books are the best-attested pieces of ancient literature we possess." Morrow added, "One of the fascinating things about New Testament manuscripts: We have over 5,700 Greek manuscripts alone. And more manuscripts are being discovered all the time." He summed up, "I think what Christians need to know is that there's really good reason why we believe what we believe, and the evidence is only getting better. The more we discover and the more we find, the more confidence you can have that this is really true." CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN FIND PEACE WITH GOD This story was originally published on April 1, 2018. 

Wallace pointed out courts don't expect the law to prove absolutely no possible doubt. Only no reasonable doubt. "So is it possible that they conspired for 60 years, at 500 plus people, under immense pressure with not enough family relationships to hold it together?" Wallace asked. "Yeah, it's possible. It's just not reasonable." Jesus Appeared to All Sorts of People Debunkers say Jesus in the biblical accounts only showed up to his closest followers, those most likely to lie about His Resurrection. But McDowell said the opposite is true. "He appeared to the Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus, who was anything but a follower of Christ. He despised Christ as a false Messiah," McDowell said. He also pointed out Jesus appeared to James, saying, "You take James, His brother. James was not a follower of Jesus Christ. He was embarrassed by Christ, his brother, going out and doing these things and claiming these things. But James ended up coming to Christ and became a leader of the Jerusalem church." No Two People – Much Less 500 – Have the Same Hallucination The Bible talks about Christ after His Resurrection showing up before 500 people. Some debunkers say that was likely just a mass hallucination. Neither Wallace or McDowell buy that. McDowell interviewed five experts and learned, "No two people ever have the same hallucination because there's no external reference to it. It's all internal." Wallace added, "There's just no history of kind of group hallucinations with the kind of detail that we see in the gospels. So I was never fond of that explanation." Worshipping Jesus McDowell stated, "In my research to refute Christianity, I became convinced the Church would never have been founded without the Resurrection. Everything that they did pointed back to that."  One huge thing they did: break the Sabbath and worship Jesus as they did it. Remember: all the early believers were fervent Jews who had believed they faced dire danger if they broke the Sabbath. Alex McFarland – who organized this Truth for a New Generation conference – points out how that changed right after Jesus' Resurrection. "Pious Jews whose very relationship with God is contingent on keeping a Sabbath that they've observed for centuries, suddenly overnight begin to worship on Sunday. Why? Something must have happened. Well, Sunday was Resurrection day." "Now you have to understand what it meant to the Jew if they ever broke the Sabbath," McDowell explained. "It could mean death." The Resurrection Proves It All But the Resurrection on a Sunday had been the proof positive that Jesus was indeed the Risen Lord, worthy of worship on that day of the week. "If Christ physically rose from the grave, then that proves His identity, message, and credentials," McFarland pointed out. "What was His identity? God Incarnate. What was His message? Salvation by faith in what He did on the cross. His credentials? Virgin-born, sinless life, rose from the dead, i.e.: He is the Savior." McDowell told CBN News the meaning of it all is so powerful and overwhelming, it still touches him deeply more than half a century after he first came to believe Jesus was indeed the Resurrected Son of God, able to conquer death. "It gives me hope that as Christ was raised from the dead, I shall be, too. Because of that," he stated. McFarland added, "In the empty tomb, we have it all, ironclad, guaranteed. I tell people the tomb was left empty so that your life could be made full."

By CP StaffFriday, April 03, 2026Kenneth Copeland talks with Bryce Crawford on his podcast released on March 30, 2026. | YouTube/@Bryce Crawford PodcastEvangelist and social media influencer Bryce Crawford has landed the first one-on-one scheduled sit-down interview with televangelist Kenneth Copeland in more than 15 years.In the over two-hour-long podcast, Crawford, 22, told the 89-year-old Copeland he disagreed with the pastor’s trademark “prosperity gospel,” but remained cordial despite the disagreements.  The discussion covers Copeland's childhood in Texas during the Great Depression, meeting and marrying his wife, Gloria, in 1961, and his subsequent conversion and ministry start in the mid-1960s, when he founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries.It then shifts to deep Bible study on the definition of prosperity, redemption from the curse of the law, tithing, divine health and the “word of faith” teaching.Here are four highlights from the podcast.Page 2 By CP StaffFriday, April 03, 20261. ‘True prosperity’ stems from the GospelWhen Crawford asked Copeland to explain his definition of abundance and prosperity, Copeland said, “Well, Jesus came and said the thief comes but to steal, to kill and destroy. I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Prosperity.” He also clarified that the Bible never condemns money, but rather the love of money. “When one mentions prosperity, most people think about money,” he said. “Now, money is not the root of all evil. The Bible said the love of it is. And there are people that commit that that don't have any money.”Copeland added, “True prosperity starts with John 3:16. That's where it starts. And then you go from there.”

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Friday, April 03, 2026Pastor Chris Avell (L) and his attorney Jeremy Dys (R) speak to reporters outside Bryan Municipal Court in Bryan, Ohio, on Jan. 11, 2023. | First Liberty InstituteA judge has permanently dismissed an Ohio city’s lawsuit against a pastor who ran a 24/7 homeless ministry at his church property.Judge James D. Bates of the Court of Common Pleas of Williams County issued a final order earlier this week in the case of Fire Chief Douglas Pool, City of Bryan Fire Department v. Dad's Place and Riehle Rentals, LLC. At issue was the homeless ministry that Pastor Chris Avell offered at Dad’s Place in Bryan, which city officials charged was violating several zoning and building requirements.This included a demand from Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool to have the church install a sprinkler system, even though the church could not afford such an exorbitant expense.In his order, Bates wrote that Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool “has not identified a specific interest here that would justify shutting down Dad's Place because it lacks a sprinkler system” and that “his decision to wait years before enforcing the fire code confirms that no such interest exists.”“Pool has also failed to prove that the City's fire-code enforcement against Dad's Place is the least restrictive means of achieving the City's interests,” Bates continued. “Here, there are multiple alternatives to forcing the Church to shut down its ministry for lack of a sprinkler system, any one of which is fatal to Chief Pool's case under strict scrutiny.”The order explained that an “injunction would inflict irreparable harm on the Church by shutting down its ministry” and that the “balance of harms therefore tips decidedly against the injunction.”“Chief Pool has failed to prove that the public interest would be advanced by the issuance of a permanent injunction enjoining Dad's Place from continuing to live out its faith by serving the vulnerable population of Bryan,” Bates added.The complaint against the church was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, and the lawsuit is permanently concluded.Jeremy Dys, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, which helped to represent the church, said in a statement released Thursday that the ruling “should put an end once and for all to the city’s relentless attacks on Dad’s Place and Pastor Chris.”“All Pastor Chris ever wanted to do was keep the doors of his church open to those in desperate need of temporary shelter,” Dys continued. “It’s past time for the city to end its mean-spirited, three-year campaign of harassment of this church.”In 2023, Avell launched the 24/7 ministry to the homeless at his church. Months later, Bryan city officials filed 18 criminal charges against the church over building code issues.Although officials agreed to drop the charges in exchange for Dad’s Place actively working to get the necessary certifications and permits, the church faced additional criminal charges after the city fire chief conducted a surprise inspection in April 2024.In January of last year, a Bryan Municipal Court Judge ordered Avell to pay a $200 fine and gave him a 60-day suspended jail sentence. However, the Sixth Appellate District on the Court of Appeals of Ohio stayed the sentence.Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

JERUSALEM, Israel – Easter reminds us that after being crucified, Jesus Christ then rose from the dead to reign with His Father in Heaven. Forty days earlier at the Transfiguration, Jesus gave a preview of the inheritance His followers will receive. The gospels describe the Transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain before his death. Matthew writes: "There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:2) Luke recounts: "The appearance of his face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus." (Luke 29:31) It's a preview of how He'd be transformed after the resurrection, yet also how believers in Him will be transfigured. As John puts it, "When He appears, we shall be like Him."  (1 John 3:2) Bible teacher Georgian Banov explained, "So, that powerful manifestation is just a prelude of what's going to happen with us." Banov and his wife, Coco, head the Global Celebration ministry. They travel around the world, many times to dangerous places, emphasizing the huge benefits Jesus brought us through His death and resurrection. Coco Banov told us, "That glory is also ours...that Resurrection life, glory, joy, happiness, peace." According to the Apostle Paul, we will have glorified bodies like Moses and Elijah did when they met with Yeshua at the Transfiguration. In the book of Philippians, Paul says, "He will take our mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own." (Philippians 3:21) "The scripture says we go from glory to greater, greater glory," Coco remarked. That means we go from being like Adam to being like Jesus. As Paul says, "Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the Man of Heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:49) It would be the only way that humans can stand in the presence of the all-powerful, pure, and holy God. Even the Israelites quaked in terror when witnessing God at Mount Sinai. "We're going to have a body that can handle His glorious presence," Coco Banov declared. She added, "When the children of Israel...when He came on the mountain, they were terrified. They said, 'We can't handle this.'   So, the glorified body is going to help us. It's going to enable us to behold His glory and rejoice forevermore." These bodies will leave our flesh behind, and even now, believers can see some of the benefits. As Coco put it, "We're much more than forgiven.  We're washed, we're cleansed, we're able to be indwelt by His Holy Spirit, who heals us; heals hearts, minds, souls, bodies." Jesus's glory and healing will belong to His followers for all of eternity. As John writes in Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There iwill be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." "In heaven, no more pain, suffering. But certainly it starts here," Coco said. "It's our inheritance. We're co-heirs with Christ." The appearance of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration suggests we'll see those who have gone before us in Heaven.   The book of Hebrews reveals that they're already watching us. Coco noted, "It says we're surrounded with a cloud of witnesses." Georgian Banov observed, "That's huge. I'm looking forward to seeing my mom." ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to receive the latest news from a Christian perspective.*** As the Transfiguration ended, God came down in a cloud. Georgian quoted the scripture found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke: "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." He points out that it's easier than you may think, since Christ dwells in us. "We need to listen to His voice," he explained. "Because His voice is inside. We have the mind of Christ and the thoughts of Christ.  And we can hear the voice of God inside. That's huge." Right after God said, "Listen to Him," Jesus told his terrified disciples, "Rise and have no fear." (Matthew 17:7) That is the Bible's most frequent command, written hundreds of times, and it's the best advice for living well, because fear can cripple the soul and breaks the spirit. John states that "Perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:13) Free of fear, we can enjoy the benefits so richly bestowed on us by the Resurrection. Georgian admonished, "Be not afraid, because He's always with us...never leave us, never forsake us." Coco exhorted, "Christ is in us. We've joined Him in His death, we've joined Him in his burial, and now we certainly join Him in His Resurrection." Now, we're free to live our lives in God's joy, peace, and love.